Achieving national development through a balanced division of labor among various segments of society and regions, and, in parallel, the balanced distribution of the benefits of development among segments and regions, have been among the highest priorities of government programs and development plans. Ensuring the balanced distribution of economic welfare among segments of society, provinces and regions, in short across space, emerges as a requirement of the welfare state approach in today's societies. This policy is also among the important elements of economic and social cohesion and social stability.
In today's developed societies, the overall growth rate and the average income level are no longer regarded as the sole indicators of development. How this income is generated, with the contribution of which segments, and how it is distributed among segments and across space are now also cited among the indicators of development. Moreover, the sustainability of growth and development is considered directly proportional to the existence of a management and production structure that takes these matters into account. Management approaches and policies that disregard balanced distribution not only move away from social justice but also struggle to ensure stability and fail to achieve sustainable development performance.
Local and regional development, as in other development plans, has been one of the highest priority areas of the 8th Five-Year Development Plan (8th FYDP), which is currently in force. Among the basic objectives, principles and policies of the Plan, the following statement is cited: "In order to ensure the standard of living our people deserve, importance will be given to improving income distribution, combating poverty and reducing regional disparities in development." (Article 185) Furthermore, the importance of regional and local development is clearly emphasized among the Development Plan's objectives, principles and policies concerning regional development, regional planning, the development of priority regions for development, public investments, state aid for investments and rural development.
The Plan also emphasizes that Local Industrial Clusters in the world and in Türkiye have emerged as products of the changes in the global economy and in the understanding of competition, and that, in addition to local institutions organizing around common goals, small and medium-sized cities hosting SMEs that are specialized in particular sectors and integrated with one another are steadily increasing in importance in the world economy. It is stated that, in order to use national resources in the most effective and efficient manner during our country's industrialization process, Türkiye's industrial map will be drawn up, and investments that complement one another and establish one another's infrastructure, as well as projects aimed at regional development, will be supported.
In addition, with respect to rural development, it is emphasized that increasing employment in rural areas, developing human resources, supporting economic activities that increase the income of the rural population, improving quality of life, effective organization and participation at every level are important, and measures to increase the participation of civil society organizations in the development process are envisaged.
In this context, in the 8th FYDP, the State Planning Organization Undersecretariat was tasked with making the necessary arrangements for establishing units in the centers where they are needed, in order to increase the effectiveness of the preparation, implementation, coordination and monitoring stages of plans, programs and regional plans.